Frank Kuhn directs The Drunkard at Metropoiitan 9/18-10/17

Metropolitan Playhouse, "theatrical archaeologist extraordinaire" (Backstage), presents a revival of The Drunkard, or The Fallen Saved by W. H. Smith. First presented in Boston in 1844, and later by P.T. Barnum in New York in 1848, The Drunkard now receives its first professional production in the city since 1993. Frank Kuhn comes to New York to direct Metropolitan's revival at 220 E 4th Street September 18th through October 17th, 2010.

The Drunkard follows Edward Middleton, prosperous young landowner, whose generosity and decency are matched only by his love of life. But, when an avaricious and resentful lawyer, Squire Cribbs exploits Edward's weakness for drink, the young man staggers down a path to dereliction. Abandoning his reputation and his young wife and child, he is brought to New York City and the brink of suicide, and only saved by the intervention of Arden Rencelaw, whose own recovery from a sordid past has given him a mission to champion the fallen man. Around these central characters are a circus of rural and urban characters who paint a colorful picture of pre-industrial America and a vision of conflict between social values and the dangers of changing modern times.

The Drunkard played 140 performances in its Boston run in 1844, setting a record for the American stage. Subsequent New York stagings included P.T. Barnum's, who renovated his New York exhibition hall to accommodate its crowds. (The play held the record for over ten years until being de-throned by an adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin.) More recently, a Los Angeles revival begun in 1933 ran for 29 years, a campy staging has played in Tulsa since 1953, and Barry Manilow created a musical adaptation with Bro Herrod of the play in 1964. Most probably co-authored by the Unitarian clergyman John Pierpont, the play was meant as a cautionary tale. Its popularity owed no doubt to the growing Temperance movement, but also to its adventurous plot, its colorful stage world, and its underlying social tensions, for which alcoholism-by any other name-is really a symptom. Metropolitan's production plays the theatrical exuberance of the play at full force, with live music and committed melodramatists, in order to reveal the broader and still-current questions of what holds a society together against what may tear it apart.

Born William Sedley in North Wales, W. H. Smith moved from England to Philadelphia at age 21, and soon after became an Acting Company member of Boston's Temont Theater under the direction of Junius Booth, which hosted luminaries of the day from Charlotte Cushman to Edwin Forrest. He was the stage manager of The Boston Museum when The Drunkard premiered, and he played the title role in his play for its first sensational run. One of his contemporaries described him as "playing his own life," for he had taken a vow of total abstinence after a youth of hard drinking. Later years took him to San Francisco, where he manged the California theater, and where he died in 1872.

Metropolitan's revival is headed by Frank Kuhn, whose decades-long, national directing career includes productions for McCarter Theatre, Foundation Theatre, Princeton Rep, Opera Theatre of New Jersey, South Jersey Regional Theatre and Centenary Stage in New Jersey; Idaho Repertory Theatre; Sacramento Opera; Temple Theatre (NC); Warehouse Theatre (SC); Virginia Opera; Southern Arena Theatre (MS); ArtVentures (TX); Lycoming Arena Theatre and Cheltenham Playhouse (PA); OperaDelaware, and Delaware Stage Company. The production stars Michael Hardart as Edward (Dodsworth, Nowadays, The Pioneer, The Octoroon), Howard Thoresen (Inverse Theater), Kendall Riliegh (The Melting Pot, Another Part of the Forest), Charlotte Hampden (Haunted), Leigh Shannon, Ben Gougeon, Rosina Fernhoff, Christopher Bix Bettwy, Cyrus Newitt, Eli Green, Jennifer Bishop, and Jessica Doherty. Musical Direction is by Christopher Bix Bettwy. Set Design is by Matthew Allar; Lighting Design by Christopher Weston (The Contrast; Under the Gaslight; The Return of Peter Grimm, Dodsworth) and Costumes by Sidney Fortner (Under the Gaslight; The Return of Peter Grimm.) Dances are by April Christine Jermyn, and Fight Choreography is by Scott Barrow. Assistant to the Director is Kevin Blackwelder.

Metropolitan Playhouse begins its 19th season, devoted to the theme of Stereotypes in American theater and culture. The Playhouse explores America's theatrical heritage through forgotten plays of the past and new plays of American historical and cultural moment. Called an "indispensible East Village institution" by nytheatre.com, Metropolitan has earned accolades from The New York Times, The Village Voice, Backstage and nytheater.com for its ongoing productions that illuminate who we are by revealing where we have come from. Recent productions include Dodsworth, NYIT awards nominee The Return of Peter Grimm, Under the Gaslight, The Contrast, Federal Theater Project's Power, It Pays to Advertise, Year One of the Empire, The Pioneer: 5 plays by Eugene O'Neill, Denial and The Melting Pot, as well as the Alphabet City and East Village Chronicles series.

The Drunkard begins five previews on Saturday, September 18th, opens Friday, September 24th and runs through Sunday, October 17th.
Shows are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm.
There will be a Pay-What-You-Will performance on Monday, September 20th at 7:30 pm.
There will be one additional matinee Saturday, October 16th, at 3:00 pm.

Tickets at the door are $25 for general admission, $18 for students/seniors, and $10 for children.
Advance purchase prices are $20 for general admission, $15 for students, seniors and Previews, and $10 for Children.
To purchase tickets online visit www.metropolitanplayhouse.org, or call 212 995 5302.

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